Bottle closure assembly for an atomizer



June 4, 1968 H. KNIBB BOTTLE CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR AN ATOMIZER Filed Dec. 20, 1965 FICH FIG 2 L* i un O INVENTOR LEROY H. K :BB

ATTY

United States Patent O 3,386,664 BTTLE CLSURE ASSEMBLY FR AN ATQMiZEP; Leroy H.. Kathi), ltl E. Lake Share thrive, Chicago, Iii. 6961) Filed Dec. 2li, 1965, der. No. 515,053 3 Claims. (Cl. Z39-346) ABSTRACT F THE DSCLOSURE The present invention relates to a novel atomizing head and bottle combination, as well as to a method of assembling such combination. The improved atomizing head and bottle combination of the present invention is designed primarily for use in connection with the dispensing of liquid hair spray which is particularly susceptible to congealing when exposed to the atmosphere. The invention is, however, capable of other uses and the present atomizing head and bottle combination, as well as the present method of assembling the same, may, if desired, be employed in connection with the dispensing of a wide variety of liquids other than liquid hair spray. irrespective of the particular use to which the invention may be put, the essential features of the invention are at all times preserve/d.

The invention is particularly concerned with an atomizing head and bottle combination wherein the bottle is preferably formed of flexible plastic material and is provided with a narrow neck portion which leads to a lling and dispensing opening and embodies an external screw thread for threaded reception thereover of the Icap portion of the atornizing head. Such a head and bottle combination is well known and usually the bottle is provided with a plastic stopper having a flanged rim which seats on the open rim of the neck portion of the bottle, the stopper being provided with a small central hole or bore in communication with the upper end of a depending dip tube by means of which hair spray liquid in the bottle is drawn upwardly and applied to the liquid inlet opening of the atomizing head when the head is actuated. Such a bottle, in the case of liquid hair spray, is substantially filled through the open rim of the neck portion before the stopper is applied, and thereafter, the stopper is pushed into the bottle neck with a press fit to the end that the dip tube extends downwardly in the bottle. After application of the stopper, a temporary cap is applied to the bottle neck portion in order to prevent discharge of the liquid hair spray via the dip tube during shipment of the bottle. It is contemplated that at the place of use, the user or consumer will replace the temporary cap with the spray head of the combination immediately before the bottle is put to use.

In practice, it has been found that when the stopper is pushed into the neck portion of the bottle after filling of the bottle with hair spray liquid, it displaces the air that is in the bottle above the liquid column and compresses such air to such an extent as to force an equivalent quantity of the liquid upwardly through the dip tube where it is forcibly expelled from `the stopper in the manner of a fountain. This not only represents a waste of the hair spray liquid, but results in such coating of the bottle with the slippery liquid that subsequent handling of the bottle is difficult.

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The present invention is designed to overcome the above-noted limitation that is attendant upon the filling of a bottle that is designed for subsequent use in connection with an attached atomizing head, and toward this end, the invention contemplates the provision of a novel bottle, dip tube and stopper assembly wherein the Ibottle may be lled with hair spray liquid or the like and the dip tube-equipped stopper applied without loss of liquid. According to the present invention, and to accomplish this aim, the stopper is provided with a small venting opening so that when the stopper is forced or pressed into the neck portion of the bottle in the usu'al manner, the pressure of air within the bottle is not appreciably increased during entry of the stopper into said neck portion. Thus, the liquid in the bottle is not constrained to rise in the dip tube `and there is no loss of liquid.

It is well known that in 'connection with a conventional fatomizing head and bottle combination of the character under consideration, the hermetic seal which obtains when the closure cap part of the head is screwed onto the externally-threaded neck portion of the bottle is effective to cause purging of the head of any residual liquid in the venturi passage, valve passages and other internal parts of the head after a given spray or atomizing operation has @been terminated. During atomization, the liquid in the bottle is placed under appreciable sub-'atmospheric pressure and, thus, when atomization is terminated, the residual partial vacuum which exists within the bottle is etfective to draw or suck the liquid within the various passages vback into the bottle, thus purging the atomizing head of all residual liquid. However, with a stopper which is vented according to the present invention, unless some means for closing the venting opening in the stopper is provided at the time the atomizing head is `applied to the bottle, this phenomenon of head purging would not obtain. The present invention, therefore, contemplates the provision of a novel bottle, dip tube, stopper and atomizing head combination wherein the stopper is provided with a venting opening for the purpose previously stated, and in which the atomizing head is provided with a closure cap part which, when operatively applied to the bottle neck, seals the venting opening so that when the combination is put to use, purging of the atomizing head after each use of the head will still prevail.

The provision of a bottle, dip tube, stopper and atomz ing head `combination such as has been :briefly `outlined above and possessing the stated advantages constitutes the principal object of the present invention. Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will Areadily suggest themselves from a consideration of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying single sheet of draw-ings form-ing a part of this specification, one illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown.

ln these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an atomizing head and bottle combination embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlanged sectional view taken substantially centrally and vertically through the structure olf FIG. l;

FIG. 3 -is la fragmentary exploded sectional view of the bottle, dip tube land stopper assembly, illustrating schematically the method of assembly thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 yof FIG. 3.

Referring now tothe `drawings in detail, a plastic bottle of conventional downwardly flared configuration is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 and is designed for use in connection with an atomizing head 12. The design of the bottle 10 is immaterial insofar as the present invention is concerned and in the exemplary illustrated dor-m, the bottle is provided with a generally circular bottom wall 14 and, in addition, a `gradually upwardly tapered or `frusto-conical side Wall 16 which is of large slant angle and height and has at its upper end an annular bead 13 of V-shaped cross section. The bottle il) is furtherr provided with a reduced generally cylindrical neck portion 20 'which is separated from the upper end of the bottle side wall by an annular shoulder 22 and embodies an external screw thread 24. The plastic material of which the bottle lt) is formed is such that the bottle 4walls are flexible to a slight degree, but nevertheless, are self-sustaining. Under the influence of external or internal pressure, Iwhether superatmos-pheric or subatrnospheric, the `Walls of the bottle may flex, but when such pressure is relieved, the bottle walls Iwill assume their original normal condition.

According to the present invention, the bottle li? is adapted to be substantially filled with liquid hair spray of low viscosity, and after the lilling operation which takes place through the open rim 26 of the neck portion 20, a plastic `dip tube and stopper assembly such as is shofwn in FIG. 3 and designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 23 is `applied to the said neck portion 2li. The assembly 28 comprises an inverted cup-shaped stopper 30 having a planar circular `disk-like sealing wall 32 and a depending annular apron-like wall 34. The latter is provided with an external annular bead 36 which is designed for interlocking engagement with a .mating annular recess 38 (see FIG. 2) in the neck portion 20y of the bottle l0. The sealing wall 32 overhangs the wall 34 and is adapted to seat at its peripheral region on the .rim 26. Said sealing wall 32 is provided `with `a cent-ral liquid outlet opening 4t) which communicates with a depending tubular pilot boss 42. The upper end of an elongated, vertically extending dip tube 44 is telescopically received within the boss 42 4by way of a press tit.

The dip tube and stopper `assembly 28 is adapted to be `assembled at the factory and shipped lwith the bottle to the consumer who then performs the bottle lling and assembly operations. Alternatively, in a case where the bottle and dip tube and stopper assembly is shipped to a bottle filling plant for subsequent shipment to the ultimate consumer, the purveyor of the liquid hair spray will perform the filling and assembly operations and, thereafter, will `apply a conventional closure cap (not shown) by threading the salme onto the neck portion Ztl of the bottle, after which the thus sealed bottle will be shipped to the consumer who will remove the closure cap and substitute the `atornizing head 12 therefor.

In order to facilitate application of the dip tube and stopper assembly 28 to the substantially filled bottle 10, regardless of whether the application is made by the distributor of the hair spray liquid or by the consumer, the

closure wall 32 of the stopper 30 has for-med therein a small eccentrically disposed venting opening Si). The latter is located at one side of the outlet itl and the tubular pilot boss 42. When the dip-tube equipped stopper 30 is pushed into the bottle neck portion 20 in the usual manner of assembly, no internal pressure will be developed -within the contines of the bottle, only air escaping through the venting opening 59 and the liquid remaining intact Within the bottle.

After the assembly operation has been completed, it is necessary to seal the opening 50, whether the lled bottle is to be shipped to the consumer or whether the atomizing lhead 12 is to be immediately applied. If desired, the venting opening G may be sealed Iby the application thereto of a daub of self-hardening adhesive o-r cement, or by insertion therein of a small plug or stopper, `or in any other manner utilizing a sealing agent or plug. However, if the filled bottle is to lbe shipped to the consumer, the application to the neck portion of the bottle of the aforementioned threaded closure cap lwill serve to retain or capture the liquid within the bottle until it has been i received by the consumer. Similarly, the design of the closure cap of the ratomizing head l2 is, according to the present invention, such that this venting opening S0 will automatically become sealed when such cap is applied to the neck portion of the bottle.

The atomizing head l2 may be of any suitable construction. Preferably, it is of the type that is shown and described in my co-pending United States Patent No. 3,322,349, granted on May 3C, l967, and entitled, Apparatus and System for Dispensing Hair Preparationsf Reference may be had to such patent for a full understanding of the nature and operation of an atomizing head that is suitable for use in connection with the present invention. Briefly, however, it may be stated that the illustrated atomizing head l2 is of the venturi type and includes a valve body 6G which is applied to the bottle i() by means of an inverted, cup-shaped closure cap 62. The latter is connected to the underneath side of the body 60 by a tubular support nipple 64- which communicates at its lower end with the liquid outlet opening Atl and the upper end of the dip tube 4d when the closure cap 62 is threaded onto the neck portion 20 of the bottle 1t). The upper end of the nipple 64 communicates with the lower end of a vertical bore 66 in the valve body 60. A laterally extending threaded bore 68 communicates with the upper end of the bore 66 and threadedly receives therein a venturi nipple '7%. The latter has a venturi passage 71 therein and is sealed to the bore by an O-ring 72. A dome-shaped shell 74 surrounds the exposed portions of the nipple 7i) and has a small atomizing outlet hole 76 formed centrally therein. The outlet end of the venturi nipple terminates in the vicinity of this hole.

The valve body 60 of the head 12 is provided with a tortuous but generally vertical air passage 80. The lower end of this passage is formed in a nipple 82 which is adapted for reception thereover of a llexible tube 84 leading to a source of air under pressure (not shown). The upper region of the passage 8d is shaped to form a valve chamber 86 which communicates through a horizontal bore 88 with the interior of the shell 74.

A conventional valve assembly 90 including a self-contained valve unit 92 and a spring-pressed manipulating plunger 94 therefor is operatively installed in the valve chamber 86 and operates, upon depression of the plunger 94, to admit air under pressure through the bore 88 to the interior of the shell 74 for atomizing purposes, thus drawing liquid from the bottle via the dip tube 44, the nipple 64, the bore 66, and the venturi nipple 70.

The venturi action of the atomizing head and the control valve assembly that is associated therewith is conventional and no claim is made herein to any novelty associated with the same, the novelty of the present invention residing rather in the combination of such a head with the bottle, dip tube, and stopper combination which will now be more fully described.

The tubular support nipple 64 constitutes the sole means for securing the inverted cup-shaped closure cap 62 to the valve 'body 6G of the atomizing head i2 and, accordingly, such nipple is formed at its lower end with an enlarged head 10i) which seats within a downwardly facing recess `102 in the top Wall X04 of the closure cap when the nipple is screwed into the valve body so that there will be no interference with proper seating of said top wall of the cap when the latter is threaded onto the neck portion 2G of the bottle 10. lt will be observed that the underneath face 106 of the top wall of the cap 62 is of planar annular configuration and this flat face is adapted to seat squarely and substantially coextensively upon the disk-like sealing wall 32 of the plastic stopper 3l), thus closing the small venting opening 50. This closing of the venting opening Sti takes place irrespective of the particular angular position which obtains when the cap 62 is tightened upon the bottle neck portion Ztl.

This automatic sealing or closing of the venting opening 50 by the simple expedient of threading the cap 62 tightly upon the bottle neck portion 20 constitutes one of the principal features of the present invention. With the venting opening 50 thus closed, when the atomizing head r1.2 is put to use by depression of the plunger 94 to admit air from the ilexible tube 84 through the passage 80, the valve assembly 90 and the bore 88, to the interior of the shell 74, a partial vacuum is created in the venturi passage 71 and is effective through the vertical bore 66, the nipple `64, and the dip tube 44 to place the contents of the bottle .10 under sub-atmospheric pressure, thus drawing liquid out of the bottle and causing atomizing thereof in the vicinity of the atomizing hole 76. Upon release of the plunger 94 and consequent closure of the valve assembly 90, atomization ceases and the partial vacuum which exists within the interior of the bottle is transmitted through the dip tube 44, the nipple 64, the vertical bore 66, the venturi passage 71, and the atomizing hole 76 in such a manner as to draw any residual liquid which may remain in these internal cavities back into the interior of the bottle, thus purging the atomizing head so that there will be no congealing of liquid Within these cavities during a subsequent idle period when the bottle and atomizing head combination is not in use. The initial creation of a small venting hole in the usual dip tube equipped stopper, the lling ofthe bottle through the open rim in the neck portion of the bottle, the pressing of the thus vented stopper into the bottle neck, and causing the originally present venting opening in the stopper be sealed at such time as the atomizing head is applied to the bottle, afford a method of producing a ready-to-use article which, in the assembly thereof, entails no waste of the liquid, requires no messy cleaning-up process, and preserves, during use thereof, the :aforementioned self-purging feature.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction may tbe resorted to without depart- `ing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, only insofar as the invention is pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an atomizing apparatus for dispensing liquids, in combination, a liquid-containing bottle having a neck portion presenting a circular rim and establishing a filling opening, a stopper disposed within said filling opening with a press fit and provided with a centrally disposed liquid outlet opening therethrough, a dip tube depending from said outlet opening into the lower regions of the bottle for conducting liquid upwardly to the outlet opening, said stopper being further provided with an eccentrically disposed venting opening therethrough for the escape of air during pressing of the stopper into the lling opening, an atomizing head of the venturi type and including a closure cap designed for reception over the neck portion of the bottle and provided with a top wall having a tlat sealing surface on the underneath side thereof and which makes sealing engagement with the stopper and effectively seals said venting opening when the closure cap is in position on the bottle neck, said top wall of the closure cap being provided with an opening which establishes a liquid inlet for the atomizing head and is in register with the outlet opening of the stopper when the closure cap is received on said neck portion of the bottle.

2. In an atomizing apparatus for dispensing liquids, the combination set forth in claim 1 and wherein said a-t sealing surface on the top wall of the closure cap is of annular conguration whereby said underneath surface will effectively seat on the upper end of the stopper and make sealing engagement with the venting opening regardless of the angular position assumed by the closure cap when it is fully received on said lneck portion.

3. In an atomizing apparatus for dispensing liquids, the combination set forth in claim 1 and wherein the stopper presents an upper face which lies flush with the circular rim of the neck portion of the bottle and in which said at sealing surface of the crown portion of the closure cap seats upon said upper face of the stopper and upon the circular rim of the neck portion of the bottle when it is received over said neck portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1951 Croce 239-354 X 1/1958 Solomon 21S- 56 X 

